Hospital screen



D. E. MATSON. HOSPITAL SCREEN. Awucmou man FEB- 1. 1920.

Patented May23,1922.

unit

DAVID E. WATSON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO "WILLIAM A.CARLSON, 03E MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

HOSPITAL SCREEN.

Application filed February 7, 1920.

such a device in the simplest possible manner and is primarily designedto be light in weight with. a single supporting standard properlybalanced tohold the curtains of the screen in various positions-as maybe desired.

A feature of my invention isin adesign of screen which can be movedreadily from place to place without having the supporting means or baseof the screen catch on the legs of a bed or other objects when it isbeing moved, and particularly to make the screen applicable for use inhospitals and sick rooms.

A further object of my invention is in a screen with a construction inwhich the curtains are held freely depending from the supports withoutany frame cross members extending below the point of supporting of thecurtain throughout its length, except the single central standard, whichis connected to the base. This construction allows free access below thesupporting members of the screen, as the curtains can be readily raisedor pushed asideto allow a person to walk under thescreen at any place upto the central supporting standard This feature of the invention is veryessential in the use of this screen in hospitals as it is oftendesirable. when the patients bed is screened in, for the nurse or doctorto get things outside of the screen and with ordinary constructeddevices it is necessary for them to go around the entire screen in manyinstances. This feature is entirely obviated by niy device.

Another object of my invention is in a device which can be folded into asmall space with the curtains attached thereto. or the end curtains canbe moved into various positions and also if it is desired the entirescreen can be collapsed and stored away or packed for shipment,Thescreen forms Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 19232.

Serial No. 3563M.

a supporting means for various medical articles at the head of thesupporting standard.

The peculiar and novel features and construction of my screen will bemore minutely set forth in the specification and claims.

In the drawings forming part A of this specification Figure 1illustrates a perspective view of my screen as it would appear in use.

Figure 2 illustrates a plan View of the same.

Figure 3 is a detail of a portion of the screen.

Figure 4 is a detail of a :portion of the screen.

Figure 5 is a detail of a portion of the screen.

The drawings illustrate the screen A. which is formed with a supportingstandard 10 made of tubing or other suitable material and secured to thelarge circular base portion 11 in any suitable manner so as to rigidlyhold the standard 10 in upright, vertical position.

A curtain supporting hollow rod 12 is secured centrally between its endsto the sup port 18, which is formed with a depending lug or stub shaft14. which engages in the upper end of the standard 10 to pivotallysupport the rod 12 horizontally to the upper end of the standard. Therod 12 forms the central or body portion of the screen A and isrotatable horizontally in the standard 10.

Extension, screen supporting, tubular rods 15 are pivotally connected bythe offset ends 16 to the ends of the rod 112. The rods can be turnedhorizontally to either side of the rod 12 so as to told the screen intoa compact state or to move the screen into the de sired position foruse. If desired. extension curtain supporting rods 17 can be pivotallysecured at 18 to the rods 15 to form a large screen. These extensions 17are attached by oftset endsin the-same manner as the ends 16 of the rods15 to pivot-ally secure the same to the free ends of the supporting rods15.

The flexible curtains 19 and 20 are supported by the rods 15 and thecentral body rod 12 overlapping each other at the stand ard 10, asillustrated in Figure 1. The our tains 19 and 20 hang freely without anyobstructions or frame members across or through the body portion, therods 15 engaging in the hems 21 and 22, respectively, along the upperedge of the outer ends of the curtains, while rod 12 engages the hems 28and 24; along the inner portions of the curtains, allowing the curtainsto depend freely from the supports.

Each of the curtains is formed with a cut away portion 25 at theconnection of the rods 15 and the pivoted ends 16. The outer ends of thehem port-ions 23 and 24 are formed with openings 26, through which theoffset ends 16 of the rods 15 pass and engage to hold the ends of thecurtains and the hems 23 and 241 in place on the supporting rod 12. Theinner ends of the curtains 19 and 20 are formed at the hems 23 and 2 1with straps 27 and 28, respectively, which engage a suitable snapfastener attached to the curtains 19 and 20, respectively, to hold theends of the curtains overlapping the standard 10. Each curtain 19 and 20is formed with a notch portion 29 to allow the hooks 30 to project fromthe support 13,witl1out interference with the curtains. The hooks 30form a convenient means for hanging medical appliances, such as douchebags to be supported by the standard 10. The cut away portion 25,together with the holding opening 26 keeps the curtains smooth on thesupporting rods without pulling or tearing at the pivot point of therods 12 and 15 and holds the curtains smooth and neatly in place in anyposition of the supporting rods.

The round circular base allows the screen to be moved from place toplacevery readily and it will be seen that this construction of basewill prevent the same from catching on the bed legs or any other objectwhile it is being moved. The flat nature of the base also is verydesirable as it allows the physibest embodiment thereof, but I desire tohave it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative andthat the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to usesother than those above set forth within the scope of thefollowingclaims:

1. A screen, comprising a single supporting standard, a main curtainsupporting rod pivoted centrally to the upper end of said standard andadapted to extend horizontally thereto, extension curtain supportingrods pivoted to the ends of said main supportlng rod and a curtainadapted to be supported by said main and extension rods with its bodyand lower portion freely depending therefrom to give access from oneside to the other of said screen at any point throughout the lengththereof on either side of the main supporting standard.

2. A screen, including a single, vertical standard, a horizontallydisposed curtain supporting member, pivoted centrally to the upper endof said standard and adapted to extend horizontally thereto. extensioncurtain supporting members pivotally secured to said main curtainsupporting member to allow the free ends of the same to swing to eitherside of said main'supporting member and curtains adapted to be engagedby said supporting members in the hem extending longitudinally along oneedge of the same and adapted to overlap at, the standard of said screen,said curtains being cut away'at the pivotal points of said extensionmembers.

3. A screen, comprising a single supporting standard, a base for saidstandard, a horizontally disposed main curtain supporting member,pivoted centrally to the upper end of said standard and adapted toextend horizontally thereto, extension curtain supporting memberspivoted to said main member, a curtain having a hem along itslongitudinal edge adapted to be engaged'by said supporting members, arecess formed in said curtain at the supporting hemand' means adapted tohold said curtain against wrinkling or sliding away from the ends of themain supporting member when said extension members are folded toward thesame.

4. An adjustable screen for ahospital bed having in combination, a basemember, a single supporting standard rising from said base member, ahorizontal bar mounted on the top of said standard to rotate thereon andextending at each side thereof, said bar being provided with verticalholes thereto adjacent its ends, rods of smaller diameter than said barhaving their ends down-turned and journaled in said holes so that saidrods can swing to either side of said bar, the standard member andextending vertically therefrom, a member rotatably supported at the topof said member having hooks projecting 1aterally therefrom, a horizontalcurtain supporting rod carried by said member and extend ingsubstantially equal distances at each side thereof, curtain supportingrods ournaled in the ends of said last mentioned rod and adapted toswing over the same, a depending curtain supported by said lastmentioned rods and extending along and supported by said first mentionedrod at their ends, said curtain having cut-out portions for preventingengagement with said hooks.

DAVID E. MATSON.

